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2003 Wittenberg University
Softball Press Releases All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer Director of Sports Information E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu May 6, 2003
The Tigers have even greater mountains to climb this week as they head into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in school history. Wittenberg will play in the Great Lakes Regional of the tourney hosted by nationally ranked Muskingum in New Concord, Ohio, along with the top-seeded host team, ninth-ranked No. 3 seed Bethany, 10th-ranked No. 2 seed Alma, fourth-seeded Wittenberg and No. 5 seed Cabrini. Game 1 will feature Wittenberg and Cabrini at 11 a.m. Friday with the winner advancing to face Muskingum at 3 p.m. and the loser dropping into an elimination game at 5 p.m. The Tigers head into the tourney with an overall record of 24-19. Cabrini is the champion of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and carries a 33-6 overall record. In Friday’s NCAC Tournament opener, Wittenberg defeated No. 4 seed Allegheny 5-2 behind the outstanding pitching and hitting of sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield). In the second game of the day, the Tigers defeated No. 4 seed Ohio Wesleyan 1-0 in nine innings as junior Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) scored on a wild pitch and sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) hurled a masterful shutout complete game victory. In Saturday’s title game, Gillam was again outstanding on the mound and senior Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales) delivered a two-out run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game and send the Tigers into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000. Four Tiger players were named to the 2003 NCAC All-Tournament Team: Walters, Gillam, junior outfielder Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and sophomore second baseman Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay). Gillam was named Most Outstanding Player. Next: 5/9 vs. Cabrini, 11 a.m. NCAA Division III Tournament at Muskingum College April 29, 2003
As a result, the Tigers lost home field advantage for the NCAC Tournament and will have to travel to top seed Denison on Friday for a match-up against No. 3 seed Allegheny at 10 a.m. Wittenberg is the No. 2 seed with a 10-4 conference regular season record. Wittenberg rounded out recent action at home Monday against OAC rival Otterbein and dropped a pair by scores of 6-0 and 13-12 in extra innings. Against Kenyon, sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) was outstanding on the mount, hurling her third shutout of the season in Game 1, a 5-0 victory. Offensively, sophomore Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) and senior Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales) finished with three hits each in the opener. In the nightcap, five players had multi-hit games, led by sophomore Katie Carver (Enon, Ohio/Greenon), who slammed her second home run in three games and drove in five runs. Against Denison, the two-time defending NCAC regular season champion, the highlights were few and far between in losses of 7-2 and 9-1. Carver hit another home run in Game 1 and Walters collected two hits and an RBI in the nightcap, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Against Allegheny, Walters and junior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) put together multi-hit games in the opener, a 6-4 squeaker that clinched second place in the NCAC. Gillam won her team-best eighth game. In the nightcap, however, Wittenberg rallied for a tying run in the seventh inning only to have Allegheny win it with two-out run in the bottom of the inning and a 3-2 victory. Against Otterbein, sophomore Christy Cartaya (Mason, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) did not allow an earned run in the opener, but neither did the Cardinals in a 6-0 romp. Wittenberg was its own worst enemy, yielding six unearned runs on a season-high seven errors. Game 2 featured 33 hits between the two teams, including 17 for the Tigers, but errors again played a significant role. Montgomery and sophomore Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) each banged out four hits to lead the offensive barrage. Wittenberg takes on Capital Tuesday in a final tune-up for the NCAC tournament. In that game, Walters will be honored as the team’s lone senior in her final home game. The Tigers are bidding for their first conference tournament title since 2000, when Wittenberg made its only appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Next: 4/29 vs. Capital, 3:30 p.m. 5/3 vs. Allegheny, 10 a.m.* * NCAC Tourn. at Denison April 22, 2003
The Tiger bats were quite warm in those two games. In the opener, junior Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine), sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), sophomore Christy Cartaya (Mason, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) and junior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) each had two hits. Montgomery had the biggest hit of the day, an RBI single in the sixth inning that turned out to be the game winner. Game 2 provided what will certainly be one of the season’s highlights for the Tigers as sophomore Katie Carver (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) homered and drove in five runs to lead an offensive outburst. In addition, junior Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) had three hits and three RBI to run her hitting streak to six games. Wittenberg now heads into the biggest week of the season. The Tigers are at Kenyon on Wednesday, home to two-time defending NCAC champion Denison on Thursday and back on the road Saturday at Allegheny. Wittenberg is all but assured of qualifying for the NCAC Tournament next month, but the six games this week will determine home field advantage and tournament positioning for the top four teams that advance to the postseason. Next: 4/23 at Kenyon, 3:30 p.m. 4/24 vs. Denison, 3:30 p.m. 4/26 at Allegheny, 1 p.m. April 15, 2003
Against Wooster, the Tigers dropped Game 1 4-1 before rallying for the split behind the masterful pitching of sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), who allowed just two hits and two walks in a complete-game shutout 3-0 victory. Sophomore Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) had the biggest offensive blow of the day, driving in two runs with a fourth-inning double. Against Hiram, Wittenberg simply dominated in capturing a pair of shutout run-rule shortened games by scores of 8-0 and 10-0. In the opener, sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) tossed a five-inning, one-hit shutout and junior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) drove in three runs from the leadoff position in the order. In the nightcap, Fleming had a second straight shutout complete-game win and Niemeyer, sophomore Katie Carver (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and freshman Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon) each drove in two runs. Against Defiance, junior Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) was the hero of Game 1, a 6-5 victory for the Tigers. She drove in the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning on a two-out double and then pitching a perfect bottom half of the inning to pick up the victory. In Game 2, Defiance put together a pair of four-run innings to take an insurmountable lead and go on to a 10-7 lead. The Tigers did get some strong offensive performances, most notably from sophomore Jennifer Baggett (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek), who had two hits and three runs. Fleming was named NCAC Pitcher of the Week after hurling her two complete-game shutouts last week. She improved her record on the season to 5-4 and has a 2.84 earned run average. This is a big week for the Tigers, who start off with a previously postponed game against Thomas More on Tuesday. On Thursday, NCAC leader and two-time defending champion Denison, sporting a 6-0 record in conference play, invades Betty Dillahunt Field for a doubleheader that could determine home field advantage for the upcoming NCAC tournament. Next: 4/15 vs. Thomas More, 3:30 p.m. 4/17 vs. Denison, 3:30 p.m. April 8, 2003
In the victories over OWU, the decisions were both dramatic and both by 3-2 scores. In the opener, the Tigers trailed 2-0 until the top of the seventh inning, when they scored three runs with two outs to take a one-run lead.Then sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) finished what she started on the mound to earn her third win of the season. In the nightcap, strong pitching, this time by sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), was a key to victory again. While Fleming was holding OWU in check on the mound, senior outfielder Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/Columbus DeSales) collected two hits and two RBI, one of which came on her NCAC-leading second home run of the season. Junior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) added two hits and a run from the leadoff spot. Against Oberlin, the Tigers simply dominated. In the opener, Gillam tossed a complete-game one-hitter and also collected a pair of base hits. The offense scored eight runs to end things in the sixth inning, powered primarily by two hits and two RBI each from junior Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and freshman Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon). Against Wooster, the Tigers earned a very important doubleheader split behind Fleming’s outstanding pitching in the second game. In the 3-0 victory, Fleming allowed just two hits while the offense got a lift from sophomore Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay). In the opener, the Tigers fell 4-1 despite Gillam’s complete-game pitching performance and her RBI. In recognition of her outstanding performance last week, Norah Gillam was named NCAC Pitcher of the Week. With warmer temperatures forecast for the weekend, the Tigers will try to thaw out with another important NCAC doubleheader on Saturday against Hiram and a road trip to Defiance on Sunday. Next: 4/12 vs. Hiram, 1 p.m. 4/13 @ Defiance, 1 p.m. April 1, 2003
The Tigers split with Heidelberg on Monday, split with Mount St. Joseph on Thursday and split with Albion on Sunday, all at home. The top pitching performance of the week was turned in by sophomore Christy Cartaya (Mason, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame), who shut out Heidelberg 1-0 in the week’s opener. She allowed just five hits and one walk in going the distance for the win. In the nightcap, sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) also tossed a complete game and allowed just one earned run, but a lack of offense and two timely errors contributed to the loss. Against Mount St. Joseph, the Tigers’ defense let them down again as they committed four errors in the first game, an 8-3 defeat. In the nightcap, freshman Megan Ulbright (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) tossed a five-inning complete and earned the win when the Tigers broke out with four runs in the fifth. The game was concluded at that point due to darkness. On Sunday, the Tigers started slowly again, losing the opener 4-1 despite a solid complete-game pitching performance by junior Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine). Wittenberg earned the split by banging out 17 hits in the second game, led by three hits apiece by Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) and Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown). Among all the names already mentioned, the player of the week for the Tigers and in the NCAC was senior outfielder Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/Columbus DeSales), who went 10-for-16 with six runs and four RBI on the week. She ranks third in the conference in batting average with a mark of .400, and she tops the team in hits (20), runs (12), RBI (11) and total bases (24). This is an important week for the Tigers as they travel to Ohio Wesleyan on Thursday and then host Oberlin on Saturday. No team in the NCAC has a winning record currently, so the league race is clearly wide open heading into the first week of action. Next: 4/3 @ O. Wesleyan, 3 p.m. 4/5 vs. Oberlin, 1 p.m. March 24, 2003
Wittenberg defeated Webster 8-4, Lakeland 14-8, Haverford 1-0, Curry 3-2 and Wesleyan 5-0. Losses were dealt to the Tigers by Rockford 13-7, Wheaton 17-8, Wilmington 3-1, Drew 3-0 and Ursinus 1-0 in eight innings. Since returning to Springfield, Wittenberg managed to get one doubleheader played, a split on Monday with visiting Heidelberg (1-0 win in Game 1 and a 2-1 loss in Game 2). Individually, Wittenberg has three of the top 15 hitters in the NCAC, based upon batting average. Junior Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) leads the team with a .400 average with five RBI and three runs scored in 11 games. Sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) is hitting .333 with seven RBI, which ranks her fourth in the conference. Senior Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/Columbus DeSales) ranks 14th in the NCAC with a .375 average and a team-best eight runs batted in. On the mound, sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), who missed almost all of last season with a broken leg, has compiled a 1-3 record with an earned run average of 2.48. She leads the team with 29 innings pitched. Next: 3/27 vs. Mt. St. Joseph, 3 p.m. 3/30 vs. Albion, 1 p.m. March 10, 2003
Among several key returning players for the Tigers is the team's lone senior and one of the best offensive players in the NCAC, centerfielder Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales). Last season, Walters led the team in several offensive categories and was named first-team All-NCAC and All-Great Lakes Region. Also back after an outstanding 2002 is sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), the NCAC’s Newcomer of the Year and a third-team All-Great Lakes Region selection a year ago. Gillam, who played several different positions in 2002, will add depth to the pitching rotation and will bat in the middle of the lineup after hitting .304 last year. The key element, and strong suit, for the 2003 squad is depth. Among some of the talented rookies are freshmen Katelyn Beddow (Lexington, Ohio/Ashland), who will see time at third base and middle infielder Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Washington). Also playing in their first season at Wittenberg are junior transfer Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) and sophomore Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover). Things get started for the Tigers in Fort Myers, Fla. this week. Wittenberg will play 10 games in five days as part of the Gene Cusic Tournament. Next: 3/10-15 Spring Break Trip 10 games to be played at Fort Myers, Fla. |
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